First off, sorry if this is a continuation of a previous thread, but its been almost a year since my last post (I still visit from time to time when I can).

I just wanted to read everyone's thoughts on possibly moving up to grab Te'o in the draft. Trading up to get Te'o around the 7th or 8th pick just makes way too much sense to me to not have it happen.

The way I see it we have 3 big holes:

1. WR is the biggest need on this team, but in my pipe dream I hope we find a way to nab Dwayne Bowe. He's exactly what this team needs in an established outside #1 WR. He's big, fast, can go across the middle and his hands have developed since his first couple of drop marred seasons. He'd give us the outside threat we so desperately need to compliment Harvin in the slot. Again it just makes too much sense to me to not at least make a run at him.

2. OG also needs to be revamped. Johnson and Fusco have done an admirable job in the running game, but both appear to be lacking in pass pro. Ponder has now developed happy feet with the lack of room to step up in the pocket, severely hindering his development. I agree that it is a major need, but after reading the numerous mocks with us selecting a guard in the 1st I can't help but disagree. The OG position isn't a great value in the 1st. Are they impact players? No. Great guards are merely luxuries in my mind. Plus good to great guards can be found in the 2nd and 3rd rounds. For non playoff teams such as the Vikings we need to focus on PLAYMAKERS/VALUE POSITIONS with our 1st round selections (Something Spielman has done a fantastic job of to this point)

Which brings me to our final glaring hole...

3. MLB. Watching the Packers game and the rest of the season for that matter its become plain to see we lack a playmaking MLB. Brinkley fills the hole from time to time, makes a few wow plays every couple of weeks but the rest of the time you'll find he's out of position or fails to shed blocks. He just doesn't cut it. And I've always liked Jasper (Big South Carolina Fan) but he's not starting material in the NFL. We have our "franchise QB" in Ponder, yet we are sorely lacking a "QB of the Defense." Te'o can be all that and more. He's the defensive playmaker we need. He can bring an attitude and desire to the LB crew that we haven't had in my entire lifetime. Look at the Bears for example. The QB situation has been a mess the last 8 years, the secondary rises and falls more than the stock market, their O-Line has been terrible yet they always seem to contend. Why? I point to Urlacher and Briggs. They have led that defense for years and the unit has almost always been in the top-10, at worst giving them a chance in every game.

In closing:
Our D-Line is an solid-above average group. Our Secondary seems to be growing and has some nice young talent to build around. We have our RB. We have 2 good OTs. We have our C. And like it or not we have our QB for at worst half of next season. Get Bowe, draft a OG in the 2nd or 3rd, and move up to get Te'O. It shouldn't take more than some combination of next year's 3rd this year's 3rd and one of the extra 4ths we have. Plus with this draft lacking big time talent you may find teams would be more than willing to stockpile extra picks in middle rounds. I haven't even mention Spielman's love for the Golden Domers either. It all just makes too much sense to me.

Nice to see you back BigDog. I wouldn't mind it at all if we did what you are proposing. As long as we pick up a guy like Bowe in FA, getting an elite MLB would be great. You're right about the Bears too. They have a tradition for great LB's kind of like we have for great DT's._________________
KATE MARA IS SMOKING HOT!!

Dan Smith BYU wrote:

Remember when Adrian Peterson was a football player? He sucks as a soap opera star.

There is no doubt that Notre Dame Fighting Irish linebacker Manti Te’o is the top linebacker in the nation and arguable the best all-around defender and Te’o now has the hardware to show for his incredible on-field performance during his senior campaign.

Te’o has been named the winner of the Butkus Award as the nation’s top linebacker, as well as the Nagurski Award for being named the top defensive player in college football. Te’o became the first Notre Dame player to win the Nagurski Award in the school’s history.

There is no doubt that Notre Dame Fighting Irish linebacker Manti Te’o is the top linebacker in the nation and arguable the best all-around defender and Te’o now has the hardware to show for his incredible on-field performance during his senior campaign.

Te’o has been named the winner of the Butkus Award as the nation’s top linebacker, as well as the Nagurski Award for being named the top defensive player in college football. Te’o became the first Notre Dame player to win the Nagurski Award in the school’s history.http://fansided.com/2012/12/03/notre-dames-manti-teo-wins-butkus-award-and-nagurski-award/?